Modular grinder vehicle

ABSTRACT

Herein is disclosed a floor grinder. The apparatus includes a self propelled vehicle having a driver seat mounted on a top portion and facing a front end of the vehicle and a steering mechanism mounted adjacent the driver seat. Three separate grinders are releasably attached to the vehicle by three elongated mounting arms which position the three grinders adjacent each other in front of the vehicle. One of the grinders is positioned directly in front of the vehicle slightly forward of the remaining grinders. The remaining grinders are position to the left and right of the forward grinder by their mounting arms which mount to a left and right side of the vehicle, respectively. Each of the mounting arms are pivotally coupled to the vehicle to permit the mounting arms to pivot up and down relative to the vehicle.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to devices for smoothing, abrading, leveling and finishing the surface of concrete and stone floors by grinding.

Freshly poured and cured concrete floors often have a rough and uneven surface. The installing of floor cladding such as floor tiles generally requires the surface of the floor to be level and relatively smooth. In order to achieve the required surface characteristics, workers must go over the surface of the rough floor with a grinder to grind away the bumps and ridges which make the surface excessively rough and uneven. Floor grinders are electrically powered devices which consist of a grinding wheel, or a series of grinding wheels, powered by one or more electric motors. The grinding wheel or wheels and the electric motor are retained in a housing which is provided with wheels and a handle allowing the operator to push the back and forth across the surface of the floor. Concrete dust and other particulate matter is generated by the floor grinders as the floor grinder operates; hence, most grinders are provided with an exhaust mechanism for drawing the dust off the floor and venting the dust through a long flexible exhaust hose.

Electric grinders are highly effective, but they suffer from several drawbacks. Firstly, they are large and heavy requiring a great deal of physical effort to operate. Secondly, since each grinder requires an operator, several operators will be required to completely finish a floor with a large surface area. Furthermore, several operators working several grinding machines at the same time on the same floor require careful coordination of the operators to ensure that the job proceeds efficiently and safely while ensuring that no unfinished patches of floor are left or that no portions of the floor are ground excessively. The expense of hiring multiple operators and coordinating them is a significant drawback. The present invention seeks to solve these drawbacks so as to make the process of floor finishing safer and more efficient.

SUMMARY

The apparatus of the present invention is a floor grinder for finishing the surface of a floor. The apparatus includes a self propelled vehicle having a driver seat mounted on a top portion and facing a front end of the vehicle and a steering mechanism adapted to steer the vehicle mounted adjacent the driver seat. Three separate grinders are releasably attached to the vehicle by three elongated mounting arms which project from the vehicle and position the three grinders adjacent each other in front of the vehicle. One of the grinders is positioned directly in front of the vehicle by one of the mounting arms which projects from the front of the vehicle, said grinder projecting slightly forward of the remaining grinders. The remaining grinders are position to the left and right of the forward grinder by their mounting arms which mount to a left and right side of the vehicle, respectively. Each of the mounting arms are pivotally coupled to the vehicle to permit the mounting arms to pivot up and down relative to the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention showing the grinder units installed;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the present invention showing the grinder units installed;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view taken from the rear of the invention shown in FIG. 1 without the grinder units installed;

FIG. 4 is a perspective side view of the invention shown in FIG. 1 without the grinder units installed;

FIG. 5 is a perspective front view of the invention shown in FIG. 1 without the grinder units installed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring firstly to FIG. 1, a self propelled floor grinding device made in accordance with the present invention is shown generally as item 10 and consists of a central vehicle portion 12 and grinder units 14, 16 and 18 which are coupled to the central vehicle portion by elongated arms 20, 22 and 24, respectively. Vehicle portion 12 has a forward facing driver seat 28 perched on top of chassis 30 of the vehicle portion. Steering mechanism 32 is positioned adjacent seat 28 and is adapted to control front wheels 34 of the vehicle. A drive mechanism (not shown) is contained within chassis 30 to provide motive power to wheels 34 to allow the vehicle portion to drive. Standard electrically powered drive mechanisms consisting of electric motors coupled to rechargeable batteries and motor controllers are generally available in the market and can be tailored for use in constructing vehicle portion 12. A foot shield 11 is mounted to front end 15 of vehicle portion 12 to protect the operator's feet and keep them clear from the grinders mounted in front of the vehicle portion.

Grinders 14, 16 and 18 are each pivotally coupled to central vehicle 12 by means of elongated arms 20, 22 and 24. With reference to elongated arm 24, the features of each of the arms shall now be discussed. Arm 24 has opposite ends 36 and 38, with a yoke 40 formed on end 36. Yoke 40 is configured to securely attach to grinder 18 by means of screws and nuts or any other releasable attachment means. End 38 is pivotally connected to transverse arm 42 by pivotal connection 41. Transverse arm 42 is releasably mounted to mounting socket 44 by means of screws and nuts or any other releasable attachment means. Preferably arm 24 and transverse arm 42 are made of rectangular tube steel to ensure a strong and rigid mount for the grinder to the vehicle. Pivot 41 provides for arm 24 to pivot up and down relative to vehicle 12.

Arms 20, 22 and 24 are each releasably attached to both a grinder (14, 16 and 18 respectively) and vehicle portion 12. Arm 20 couples to and extends directly from the front of vehicle portion 12 and positions grinder 14 directly in front of end 15 of vehicle 12, Arm 24 is mounted via transverse aim 42 to the left side of vehicle portion 12 and the arm is dimensioned to position grinder 18 to left of and slightly behind grinder 14. Arm 22 is mounted to the right side of vehicle portion 12 in an identical but “right handed” way as arm 24. Arm 22 is dimensioned to position grinder 16 to the right of and slightly behind grinder 14. The lengths of the elongated arms and transverse aims are dimensioned such that the grinders do not touch each other; however, the grinders are place sufficiently close to each other that the grinding width of the three grinders overlap sufficiently that the device grinds continuously from grinder 16 to 18.

Vehicle 12 is provided with a framed housing 46 which is dimensioned and configured to hold a control box 48 configured to couple to external 3-phase power chord 3 and provide 3-phase electric power to each of grinders 14, 16 and 18. Grinders 14, 16 and 18 are preferably standard floor grinders which are powered by AC current, and control box 48 is configured to transfer 3-phase current suitable to drive all three grinder units simultaneously. The operation of the grinders is controlled by a control panel 50 which is coupled to control box 48. Control panel 50 has control boards 52, 54 and 56 which in turn control the operation of grinders 18, 14 and 16, respectively. Control box 48 is configured to couple to an onboard rechargeable battery/inverter (not shown) for powering the electric motors (not shown) for driving vehicle 12. Control box 48 is provided with a socket for plugging the box into a standard 3-phase AC current line 3.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the grinder units will now be discussed in greater detail with reference to grinder unit 18. Grinder 18 is a standard floor grinder as is commercially available from a plurality of different manufacturers. Each grinder has an electric motor 68 and a skill 58 containing the grinding elements. Skirt 58 is provided with an exhaust port 60 coupled to a flexible house 62 one end of which couples to left side port 64. The operation of grinder 18 is controlled by panel 50. When engaged, grinder 18 grinds the surface of the floor to which it is resting upon causing the release of dust which is forced out of port 60 and out through hose 62. Referring now to FIG. 3, an elongated conduit 70 is provided within chassis 30 and extends from front end 15 to back end 17 of the vehicle. A transverse extension 74 extends from conduit 70 towards the right side of chassis 30 to terminate in port 66. Another extension 76 extends from conduit 70 towards the left side of chassis 30 to terminate in port 64. The rearrnost end of conduit 70 terminates in port 68 while the foremost end of conduit 70 terminates in port 72. Ports 64, 66 and 72 are coupled to grinders 18, 16 and 14 respectively by flexible hoses as shown in FIG. 2. An elongated hose (not shown) can be attached at rear port 68 to vent the exhaust from all three grinders away from the work area if required. A vacuum dust capture system (not shown), such as a dust capture bag or filter unit, can be attached at rear port 68 to control the release of dust into the work environment.

Referring now to FIG. 4, mounting socket 44 is a rectangular member mounted securely to chassis 30 and is dimensioned and configured to receive an end of the transverse member 42 (see FIG. 1). An identical socket is formed on the right side of vehicle portion 12. A further mounting socket 80 is formed on the front end 15 of the vehicle portion for pivotally mounting arm 20 thereto (see FIG. 1). Each of the mounting sockets are rectangular to ensure that when the corresponding mounting arm is attached, a rigid connection is formed preventing the arms from rotating or twisting.

Referring now to FIG. 5, front end 15 of vehicle 12 is provided with three electrical ports 82, 84 and 86 for electrically coupling the grinders by power chords attached to each of the grinders. Electrical ports 82, 84 and 86 are coupled to panel 50 and provide an easy electrical connection between the control panel and the grinders.

Referring back to FIG. 1, each of the grinders 14, 16 and 18 can be removed from vehicle portion 12 simply by detaching arms 20, 22 and 24 (respectively) from the vehicle and unplugging their respective power chords and hoses. Grinders 14, 16 and 18 are standard electrically powered heavy duty floor grinders of the type commonly found in the market by suppliers such as Husqvarna™, Prep/Master™, and the like. As mentioned previously, the grinders are positioned adjacent each other with grinder 14 slightly in front of grinders 16 and 18 such that the grinding paths of grinder 14 slightly overlaps the grinding paths of both grinder 16 and grinder 18. This close orientation of the grinders results in a single floor grinder device which has a very wide grinding path extending from grinder 16 to grinder 18, the entirety of which is controlled by a single operator seated on seat 28. Since each of the grinders is mounted by an elongated mounting rod which can pivot in only one direction, namely up and down relative to vehicle 12, the grinders can essentially float relative to each other allowing the device to deal with uneven surfaces. Since only a single operator is used, labor costs are reduced, and since each of the grinders can be removed, the device can be disassembled for easy storage and transportation. Furthermore, each grinder can be detached and used individually should the need arise. Finally, since the dust from each grinder is exhausted through an exhaust conduit system, dust from the grinding operation can be more easily controlled and captured if need be.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A device for grinding a floor surface comprising: a. A vehicle having a front end, a back end and opposite left and right sides, a bottom portion and a top portion, a driver seat mounted on the top portion and facing the front end, a steering mechanism adapted to steer the vehicle mounted adjacent the driver seat, a drive means for driving the vehicle; b. A first grinder unit detachably mounted to the front end by a first elongated arm having opposite first and second ends, the first arm having a Y shaped yoke formed on the first end for mounting to the first grinder, the second end being pivotally mounted to the front end by a first pivotal connection to permit the first arm to pivot up and down, the first arm dimensioned to position the first grinder directly in front of the front end of the vehicle; c. A second grinder unit mounted to the right side of the vehicle by a second elongated arm having opposite first and second ends, the second arm having a Y shaped yoke formed on the first end for mounting to the second grinder, the second end being pivotally mounted by a second pivotal connection to a first transverse arm projecting from the right side of the vehicle, the second pivotal connection configured to permit the second arm to pivot up and down, the second elongated arm and the first transverse arm being dimensioned to position the second grinder in front of the front end of the vehicle but to the right of and slightly behind the first grinder; d. A third grinder unit mounted to the left side of the vehicle by a third elongated arm having opposite first and second ends, the third elongated arm having a Y shaped yoke formed on the first end for mounting to the third grinder, the second end being pivotally mounted by a third pivotal connection to a second transverse arm projecting from the left side of the vehicle, the third pivotal connection configured to permit the third arm to pivot up and down, the third elongated arm and the second transverse arm being dimensioned to position the third grinder in front of the front end of the vehicle but to the left of and slightly behind the first grinder; e. An electrical panel on the vehicle configured to supply electric power to each of the grinders.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein the vehicle further comprises a conduit extending from the front of the vehicle to the back, the conduit having a front opening at the front of the vehicle and a back opening at the back of the vehicle, the conduit having a left branch extending to a left opening positioned at the left side of the vehicle, the conduit having a right branch extending to a right opening positioned at the right side of the vehicle, the first grinder having a first exhaust port releasably coupled to first opening by a first flexible conduit, the second grinder having a second exhaust port releasably coupled to right opening by a second flexible conduit, and the third grinder having a third exhaust port releasably coupled to left opening by a third flexible conduit.
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein the electrical panel comprises three separate control boards mounted adjacent each other, each control board coupled to one of the grinders and adapted to control the operation of the grinder coupled thereto, the separate control boards each being coupled to a three phase power distributor which is adapted to couple to an external power line.
 4. The device of claim 1 wherein the first, second and third elongated arms, and the first and second transverse members comprise rectangular steel tubes and wherein the front end, and the left and right sides of the vehicle are each provided with a rectangular socket configured to receive an end of the rectangular steel tubes.
 5. The device of claim 3 wherein the drive means for the vehicle comprises an electric drive motor coupled to a rechargeable battery, the rechargeable battery coupled to a power converter which is in turn coupled to the three phase power distributor for recharging the rechargeable battery, the grinders being powered by three phase electric power from the separate control boards separate from the rechargeable battery.
 6. A device for grinding the surface of a floor comprising a self propelled vehicle having a driver seat mounted on a top portion and facing a front end of the vehicle, the vehicle having a steering mechanism adapted to steer the vehicle mounted adjacent the driver seat; the vehicle further comprising three separate grinders releasably attached to the vehicle by three elongated mounting arms which project from the vehicle and position the grinders adjacent each other and in front of the vehicle; each of the mounting arms being pivotally coupled to the vehicle to permit the mounting arms to pivot up and down relative to the vehicle.
 7. The device of claim 6 wherein each of the grinders is adapted to exhaust grinder dust through an exhaust portal and wherein the vehicle is provided with an exhaust conduit system coupled to the grinders, the conduit system configured to direct the grinder dust from the grinders and out a back end of the vehicle.
 8. The device of claim 7 wherein the exhaust conduit system comprises a first conduit extending between the front and back ends of the vehicle, a front open port formed on the conduit at the front end of the vehicle and a back open port formed on the back end of the vehicle, a left transverse conduit branching from the first conduit and extending to a left port on the left side of the vehicle and a right transverse conduit branching from the first conduit and extending to a right port on the right side of the vehicle.
 9. The device of claim 1 wherein each of the grinders is adapted to exhaust grinder dust through an exhaust portal and wherein the vehicle is provided with an exhaust conduit system coupled to the grinders, the conduit system configured to direct the grinder dust from the grinders and out a back end of the vehicle.
 10. The device of claim 9 wherein the exhaust conduit system comprises a first conduit extending between the front and back ends of the vehicle, a front open port formed on the conduit at the front end of the vehicle and a back open port formed on the back end of the vehicle, a left transverse conduit branching from the first conduit and extending to a left port on the left side of the vehicle and a right transverse conduit branching from the first conduit and extending to a right port on the right side of the vehicle. 